UC Irvine’s University Club by Wedgewood Weddings hosts banquets, galas, parties and weddings — their specialty. Established in 1986, the UCI University Club provides clients with upscale settings for events and accommodates customers with the UClub Bistro.
At this venue, the view of Aldrich Park radiates under the sky full of stars. On the lawn, a bride walks down the aisle towards her groom, who waits under the flowers decorating a white gazebo. On the patio, a UC Irvine graduate beams at the family members celebrating her new accomplishment. And in the reception hall, lively music sounds while people dance at a friend’s 21st birthday party.
“The ease of planning and the event is probably what we’re known for and why people choose us,” University Club General Manager Chris Schmuck told New University. “We know exactly how to handle basically any event that is thrown in our direction, so it creates a very stress-free environment for anybody looking to host a wedding or event or party.”
The University Club provides a wide variety of event options with offers to take care of photography, food, decorations and other amenities. Open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the UClub Bistro offers students and faculty lunch on the patio overlooking campus. Food served from the bistro is an added amenity option for many events the club organizes for clients.
Schmuck commented on the experience of hosting weddings while UCI students walk along the busy road adjacent to the venue.
“It works out for the most part. [That’s when] our weddings start, an hour or so before the sunset,” Schmuck said. “By that point, the campus [has] actually slowed down, and there [are] not really as many students as there are during the day.”
Fourth-year informatics student Vimala Machiraju and UCI alumna Elaine Le have walked along the portion of Ring Road near the University Club many times during their undergraduate years.
“I didn’t really know it was a wedding venue until last year. I thought it was mostly just for events for clubs,” Machiraju told New University. “It’s really cute that there’s a wedding venue in our school.”
“We do have UCI alumni coming back, looking at our location or venue for their wedding,” Schmuck said. “Weddings to retirement parties, birthday parties — you name it, we can do it here.”
Le commented on the possibility of returning to campus for her wedding as an alumna.
“Me and my boyfriend actually both went to UC Irvine, so we thought about it, but probably not,” Le told New University. “If I wanted that significance, I’ll put it into consideration.”
According to Schmuck, weddings are the most popular event hosted by the University Club. They include custom, classic, premier and elite packages for clients to choose from, which vary in upgrades and vendor accommodations.
“There [are] a lot of different weddings, a lot of fun weddings that we do,” Schmuck said. “We’ve got Star Wars [themed]. I’ve seen Lord of the Rings. I’ve actually had weddings on Halloween where the guests were all dressed up in costume. Then we have weddings around Christmas time — a lot of times they’ll bring in Christmas trees.”
Wedgewood Weddings updates its blog to feature couples who held their weddings at each respective Wedgewood venue. The University Club provides a woodland charm for couples using the backdrop of Aldrich Park’s trees.
According to Schmuck, the University Club is composed of a sales team, operations manager, florists, photographers, bartenders and other staff. Event expert Brooklyn Sotelo detailed her preparation of a sage-and-gold-themed wedding reception .
“I think all of [the weddings] are super unique in their own way, and then just seeing how they bring in their personal lives and do those personal touches, like [the bride has]
written notes to some of her guests,” Sotelo told New University. “It’s cute to see how they incorporate all of the personalized decor and favors and stuff.”
Lydia Bennett, the weddings and events sales coordinator, commented on her favorite wedding that has taken place at the University Club.
“My favorite one was a Disney wedding that we did, I think last August,” Bennett told New University. “The bride and groom both really, really like Disney, so they combined that into everything. They walked down the aisle to different Disney music and the theme song from ‘Up’ … She had a Disney ball gown, and all of their table numbers were different Disney rides.”
For students interested in utilizing the venue, visit the club at 801 East Peltason Drive or book an event on their website.
Alyssa Villagonzalo is a 2024-2025 Features Editor. She can be reached at akvillag@uci.edu.
Edited by Annia Pallares zur Nieden and Jaheem Conley.